Stepfather charged with harming baby

A 19-year-old man was charged with child cruelty after a Royston doctor notified authorities his 2-month-old stepson had a broken leg and arm.

The child's 20-year-old mother, Kelli Grace Lawrence, is charged with being a party to the crime, according to the Madison County Sheriff's Office.

The stepfather, Corey Alexander Lawrence, faces two counts of first-degree cruelty to children, battery and reckless conduct, and has been denied bond.

The couple lived at 1859 James Springs Road in Danielsville.

Kelli Lawrence was scheduled for a bond hearing late Thursday.

The baby was taken to a doctor in Royston on May 27 with a broken arm and leg; the doctor's office notified the county Department of Family and Children Services, according to a sheriff's office report.

The baby was transferred to Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta, where doctors discovered 11 to 14 bone fractures, most in various stages of healing, according to investigator Pat Holl. The most recent fractures happened the night of May 26, Holl said.

Corey Lawrence told authorities he gets frustrated easily, tossed the baby on a bed and the child bounced onto the floor, Holl said. Lawrence admitted he would handle the child roughly.

After they arrested Corey Lawrence, authorities began to investigate whether to charge Kelli Lawrence. She was arrested six days later.

"I had been told that she had seen at least one instance in which she saw him throw the child," Holl said. "She continued to leave the child in the custody of this person, the suspect."

"The child has been released from Scottish Rite and is with family members not in this area," he said.

Authorities may file more charges, Holl said.

"As far as the investigation goes, we'll be attempting to build a case to determine the cause of the two (recent) breaks and the others, so there is the possibility of other charges," he said.